I can’t really believe it is 10 days since I blogged (Yeah, I started this a few days ago). Silence is always a worry, huh? We are mired under in Christmas at work, busy, stressed children and tired, ill, grumpy everything. There is lots I should write and record. And lots I just feel I can’t. (And now I have.)
Yesterday, with 2 girls off poorly and Bene on a home day, I decided to just sit and observe. I pulled out a pack of review products that arrived from House of Fraser and let Josie and Bene loose on them. I was hoping I’d get an hour or so of them both being a little happier than they’ve been recently.
The silence was golden. The sun was shining and the new red curtains were giving me a happy feeling. Despite the heavy colds and child refusing to go to school and the normally noisy toddler, peace reigned. And for one of the first times, Bene and Josie engaged in something together, playing alongside each other, rather than a rampaging toddler and a frustrated tween.
We chose a couple of PlayDoh kits from House of Fraser; because I’m mean I tend not to buy shop dough, because I always feel I can make it myself. There are, of course, a million places to find out how to make sensory versions of it and all singing and dancing versions – but you just can’t beat the real thing.
We chose a game, where you fire pressed balls of dough into a mad monster thing, which caused an enormous amount of hilarity even without the added battery that was actually required! The game also has lots of press shapes built into the frame of the game, which worked perfectly with our other choice, which was the Double Desserts set. With a tinging pudding over, a heap of moulds and plates and a dough prep area, Josie just loved it and dived right in to making up recipes for the day.
As you can see, they were engrossed. It was the calmest, happiest day for weeks.
Last up on our set of activities is a simply MAMMOTH loom band thing called a Link-a-Loom, with 9 rows. It’s really chunky and impressive but we’ve yet to achieve anything meaningful with it! I’ll get back to you. Amelie and I are still working on it.
Thanks to House of Fraser who sent us our kits for a Make with Mother crafty afternoon. It really cheered us up and meant my kids got to play with stuff I don’t normally buy.
Sounds lovely and well needed.
I’m going to use your phrase when I get accused of sitting doing nothing (ie avoiding constant housework drudgery) and explain I am observing the children interacting and at play. Probably wont get me anywhere but worth a try 🙂 Just love how you make every minute sound meaningful when I just feel guilty. Time for me to change!
(That is supposed to be a positive not snarky/ sarcastic or horrid comment – I really do think you can see the positives through whatever other crap is happening and that is quite a gift) x